Friday, April 11, 2014

Staghorn Fingerless Gloves

Well, I'm still picking away at the same skein of yarn that I used for the Razor Shell Fingerless Gloves, and I'm still digging the results (and amazingly, even after finishing these bad boys, I think I'm still going to be able to put together a two-color cowl with the rest of my single skein). Anyway, this pair of fingerless gloves uses a basic stockinette and a pretty cable to create a bit of interest in the thumbs. And it's still such a lover-ly green!

Gauge: 30 stitches = 4 inchesUsing your size 1 needles, cast on 56 (66) stitches loosely, and distribute between your three double pointed needles as follows: 20 stitches on your first needle, 16 stitches on your second needle, and 20 stitches on your third needle (for larger size: 20 stitches on you first needle, 26 stitches on your second needle, and 20 stitches on your third needle). Join in round. Then, we'll knit the following ribbing row:Ribbing Row: * k1, p1 *Knit this row 4 times, at which point we'll switch to our size 2 needles and our main pattern, which incorporates the Staghorn Cable from page 251 of Barbara G. Walker's A Treasury of Knitting Patterns. We'll need the following notation:fc (front cross): slip 2 stitches to cn and hold in front, k2, then k2 from cnbc (back cross): slip 2 stitches to cn and hold in back, k2, then k2 from cnAnd then we'll proceed as follows (both sizes): Rows 1, 3 & 5: k8, p2, knit until there are 10 stitches left in round, p2, k8Row 2: fc, k4, p2, knit until there are 10 stitches left in round, p2, k4, bcRow 4: k2, fc, k2, p2, knit until there are 10 stitches left in round, p2, k2, bc, k2Row 6: k4, fc, p2, knit until there are 10 stitches left in round, p2, bc, k4Knit rows 1 - 6 six times. And now, it's time to begin gusseting in the thumb. So let's proceed as follows (both sizes):

Rows 1, 3 & 5: knit until there are 20 stitches left on first needle, m1r, k8, p2, k10, knit across second needle, k10 from third needle, p2, k8, m1l, knit until end of round (and yes, this means that you won't be knitting at all before adding a stitch on your first repeat of this instruction)Row 2: knit until there are 20 stitches left on first needle, fc, k4, p2, k10, knit across second needle, k10 from third needle, p2, k4, bc, knit until end of roundRow 4: knit until there are 20 stitches left on first needle, k2, fc, k2, p2, k10, knit across second needle, k10 from third needle, p2, k2, bc, knit until end of roundRow 6: knit until there are 20 stitches left on first needle, k4, fc, p2, k10, knit across second needle, k10 from third needle, p2, bc, knit until end of roundWork rows 1 - 6 three times (for larger size, work rows 1 - 6 three times, and then work rows 1 - 2 once more). At this point, you should have 29 (30) stitches on your first and last needles. Knit across first 9 (10) stitches on your first needle and then transfer these 9 (10) stitches and the final 9 (10) stitches on your third needle to a scrap piece of yarn, to hold for working later as the thumb. And now, we'll resume our original pattern, joining the mitt back in the round at the thumb break. I've copied the pattern below again even though there are no changes. Naturally, that means it's still the same for both sizes, although you'll be beginning with row 3 of the pattern if you're making the larger size:Rows 1, 3 & 5: k8, p2, knit until there are 10 stitches left in round, p2, k8Row 2: fc, k4, p2, knit until there are 10 stitches left in round, p2, k4, bcRow 4: k2, fc, k2, p2, knit until there are 10 stitches left in round, p2, k2, bc, k2Row 6: k4, fc, p2, knit until there are 10 stitches left in round, p2, bc, k4Knit rows 1 - 6 three times, and then knit row 1 once more (I think this should be perfectly sufficient for both sizes. Feel free to knit a few less or a few more rows, depending on your personal preference). Switch to your size 1 needles, and then work four rows in a * k1, p1 * ribbing. Bind off loosely in ribbing pattern. And then, using your size 2 dpns, pick up your thumb stitches again, taking care not to put a seam where the break in the stitches occurs (where you rejoined your glove in the round after removing the thumb stitches from your dpns). Knit around, picking up two extra stitches at the break, and completing 5 knit rows in total. Switch to your size 1 needles and knit two more rounds. Bind off loosely, and tuck in ends. Make another.

Hi Monica! The smallest circular needle I know of is 9", which is probably too large to work these gloves (and definitely too small to work the thumbs). There is a technique to use two circulars instead of dpns, however. Here's a link: http://www.weebleknits.net/twocirculars.html

Hello, first, thank you for a lovely free pattern! It looks wonderful and I'm ready to cast on!I have a silly question... is there no Left or Right mitten to this pattern, in other words, are they knitted exactly the same way, thumb and all? Since there was only instruction to 'make another'! (only had one other experience with mittens, sort of a newbie) Thank you!

First of all, there are no silly questions, only silly... I think I forgot how that saying goes :) And secondly, you are correct that they are exactly the same! That's one of the benefits of this pattern :)

I am stuck on the thumb gusset instructions. So I’ve already done rows 1-6 once and will repeat this section tonight. When I was starting it last night, it seemed odd to me. So I followed your instructions in the first part : Needle 1= 20 stitches, Needle 2= 16 stitches, Needle 3= 20 stitches. But when I get to the thumb gusset, it seems to not follow that after a while? Should I just keep going and cross my fingers? For example: Row 1 on thumb gusset says to knit until there are 20 stitches left on first needle (so that means to knit all 20 stitches on my first needle right, since that’s all I have there?) Then on the second needle is where I begin to M1r, K8, P2, and knit the rest of second needle? Then on third needle still on row 1 of thumb gusset, I knit the first 10 stitches and do the p2, k8, m1l? The problem I ran into here is that I wasn’t sure what it meant by ”and yes, this means that you won’t be knitting at all before adding a stitch on your first repeat of this instruction”. My m1l begins on the first needle again. So do I keep going with row 2 now?

Should I be concerned that the fc beginning in row 2 does not align with where it was before the thumb gusset?

Yup, it definitely sounds like you're a little bit confused. :) So, when it says "knit until there are 20 stitches left on first needle," the idea is that you'll be adding stitches to the right of those 20 stitches, i.e., at the row break. So the first time you come across this instruction, you won't knit at all (since you only have 20 stitches already), and you'll immediately do the m1r and then the cable should line up with what you've already knit. Then you'll knit across the second needle, exactly as you have been doing. Finally, when you get to the third needle, you'll be adding your stitches at the very end - next to your new stitches from the first needle, and after that second half of the cable. Your cabling should always line up with the cabling you already have. Let me know if you need any more help, or if that's unclear! :)

OK- Maybe I get it more now but not really? I'll have a frog the 6 rows I did last night, DEFINITELY LOL. I swear I thought I was intelligent at knitting after I learned to turn the heel of socks... but this. I'm struggling bad.

So, beginning where thumb gusset instructions begin:

I already have 20 stitches on needle 1 when I begin. You're saying, when row 1 begins on needle 1, don't start knitting. Immediately do the M1R, K8, P2? So if I do that, I will have 12 stitches on my right needle, yeah? So the remaining 8 stitches on my left needle on needle 1, I just knit? (First area I am confused with because if I do just want I stated, the instructions tell me to begin knitting across the second needle). I think it is the 1st needle instructions that might be throwing me off.

What does this now mean for row 2, 4, and 6 with the "knit until there are 20 stitches left on first needle", if the first needle has more than 20 stitches now?

I can't stop laughing at myself. I'm sure these instructions are easier than how I am interpreting them.....................! Thank you again.

Ha! What's funny about this is that you're exactly right - these rows are missing a direction to k10 from the first needle - but you're the first person who's noticed. I guess you're just the most conscientious knitter who's run across them. :) Anyway, I updated the instructions, and they should make more sense. If you are still confused about those needle 1 directions let me know. As far as rows 2, 4, & 6 are concerned - the reason the instructions are written as they are is so that I don't have to write different instructions for every row of the gusset. So the first time you knit row 2, for instance, there will be 21 stitches on your needle, so you'll only knit 1 before going into the cable pattern. The next time, there will be 24 stitches, so you'll have to k4 before the cable. The only purpose of this instruction at all is to make sure the cables continue to line up, while adding those thumb stitches between them. When the gusset is done, you'll move the thumb stitches and then continue the glove exactly as it first began. Is it making any more sense now?

HELLO!

And welcome to my blog, where I post a bunch of free knitting patterns! As for me, I'm Gretchen, and I'm the mother of three small boys with a TON of one- and two-ball stash yarn that I'm always trying to find creative ways to knit up. Thanks for visiting!

Oh, and, for your convenience, you can find pictures of all my patterns under the "galleries" tab up top and explanations of knitting terms and abbreviations under "glossary."